Greetings!
I know it’s still late summer, but surprisingly I’ve had two conversations today about Holiday gift giving. Granted, one was initiated by me. My client and I were talking 4th quarter programs and they were concentrating solely on their meetings and trade show needs. I reminded them they also needed to remember that the 4th quarter is a good time to thank clients and employees and maybe reach out to a promising prospect!
I know email holiday cards are popular right now, but I don’t feel special, thanked or appreciated when I receive a mass emailed holiday card. That’s if it gets through my firewall and if it does if I even open it. I get it that many want to save the budget, but think how much more you will stand out when your “real” holiday card arrives in the mail! We display the ones we receive in the office and appreciate that they included us in their thanks (many clients thank us for our partnership with them too).
And remember you don’t have to send just year-end holiday cards – you’ve got Halloween (of course my favorite holiday because it’s my birthday) and Thanksgiving coming up that you can deliver your thanks and appreciation outside of the year-end clutter.
In addition to cards I personally like receiving food. I know, we’re all trying to diet, exercise and not eat “bad” snack foods but during the holidays it’s so nice to receive the bucket of cookies (I got one last year from a vendor partner – best ever – six different kinds of cookies all well packaged so they lasted for quite a while and it was a “bucket” they were delivered in), or the flavored popcorn tins, chocolate in all shapes and sizes is never wrong and then of course there are the multitude of food gift baskets. Food gifts are especially good for groups of people, departments or if you are doing the holiday “rounds” and want to drop something off for the office.
Last year, our food gift was a S’mores kit. I still have people thanking me for it 7 months later! As you can see, we were remembered!!
There are truly so many wonderful gift ideas available at every budget that your employees and clients will truly see as a gift (even when branded). Don’t be a scrooge and give nothing but an email. Even if you can’t thank everyone, your top clients and employees will appreciate the thought. I know I do!
Let me know if we can help you get in the holiday spirit!